What is a housing co-operative?

A housing co-operative is a not-for-profit democratic organisation, managed for and by its members. Each person who lives here is a member of the co-operative and has an equal say in decision making. No member owns or makes a profit at the expense of another. Housing co-operatives have a long rich history of empowering members in their living arrangements, you can find out more here:

https://www.communityledhomes.org.uk/what-housing-co-operative

Who owns the house if there isn’t a landlord?

We currently pay money to Midcounties Co-Operative who owns the lease for the property, however, unlike with a landlord we have freedom over what we do with the property and organising ourselves inside it. This means that, as long as our lease and bills are paid, we can set our own rent, and we’re in charge of sorting out maintenance, furniture, and a lot more!

How much is rent, what does this cover?

The rent for Academic Year 2023-24 will be £480 per month or just over £110 per week. This includes ALL bills and shared consumables (such as toilet paper, washing up liquid and washing powder). We ask for a £1 deposit which grants you a share in the co-op. You’ll get this back once you leave – and we don’t ask for guarantors or deposits or application fees!

What facilities does the house offer?

The house has a large fully-stocked kitchen, which includes a large oven and stove, two fridge-freezers, and a microwave. Attached to the kitchen is the shared dining area, with a table big enough to seat the whole house (and guests) and a dartboard.

The house also has two shared bathrooms, two washing machines and a tumble dryer. In the living room, we have a superb entertainment system, with a projector and speakers. You’re welcome to use the shared Xbox for gaming or TV, or plug in your own laptop or console and access your own content on the big screen!

We have a massive garden with a trampoline, firepit, work shed and greenhouse. We also have a number of raised beds that could do with some TLC, so if you’ve got a green thumb you’ll be spoiled for choice with where to start planting.

What is expected of me as a member of the co-operative?

We ask all members to regularly attend house meetings, these happen every other Sunday evening and are how we make collectively make decisions and run the house. We also have a communal house clean at 2 pm every Sunday, where each member is assigned a room to clean. All members also join one of our 3 working groups; Finance, Maintenance and Outreach. These are how we keep on top of the day to day running of the house.